Shades of political sin and the death of transformational leadership

Posted on03 December, 2009

We saw them jostle for space on the “high table.” And from this high table, vitriol flew high left, right and centre as if the speakers were competing to see whose vitriol would tickle the most. Vitriol kept flying high even from unlikely quarters like the Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta.

And to think that he could even quote the Holy Bible to wash the vitriol down our throats! Evidently, the poignant atmosphere in the circus of a fundraiser was punctuated by cheap bursts of prolonged laughter from all those gathered. The unmistaken message of such laughter was to make those in attendance realize one`s presence.

Honorable Najib Balala, the cocky Mvita MP and the self styled Minister for political tourism capped it all by stating that those on the high table were the future of this country. In other words, those not on the high table, even though they were present in the fundraiser, they were not part of the future!

Among those present in the fundraiser but not on the high table were the likes of Honorable Eugene Wamalwa, the Saboti MP who many across the political divide thought that he epitomized transformational leadership.

However, going by Balala`s sentiments, then the youthful Wamalwa is apparently, not part of the future political leadership of this country. I thought that he got the drift, but no, like the rest in the crowd, his laughter and clapping told a different story. So what became of his budding presidential ambitions?

Has his new found company dissuaded him from pursuing his ambition?

I know that I have no right telling him who to walk with, for deep down in my heart, I know that like the iconic Nelson Mandela`s rejoinder to Bill Clinton, he will quip: “let me choose my friends as you choose your enemies.”

But I will not tire for I will find solace in the aphorism of the erstwhile Kimilili MP, “if one walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then he must be a duck!” Through Wamalwa`s body language we now know his bosom friends.

Has he not been spotted from time to time snuggling in the company of the same youthful political tourists, opportunists and slanderers who are busy casting their ethno-political net wide and far? Their political intrigues and the display of expediency coupled with sheer ineptitude among these political tourists, nay “transformational leaders” threatens to vanquish the very future that they are preaching to the youth.

Could be that they take advantage of the youth being the age of credulity?

Someone needs to tell Honorable Wamalwa pretty fast that if he does not re-examine his conscience, his well guarded personality and his razor sharp brain risks decomposing in the company of trivial personalities.

It is not surprising that of late, his rhetoric is increasingly portraying him as having completely nothing in common with the youth nor does he currently have a wee bit of understanding of the youthful generation that he purports to be the voice of. He leaves us with so many questions unanswered.

How can he be part of those telling the youth that the Government of the day must reward cheats who invaded the Mau Complex and in the same breath promise them a brighter future under his watchful custody! Why is he part of a clique that has become a stumbling block in the Mau Complex conservation efforts?

How can he be part of those whose Solomonic wisdom is to rise to the helm of this country`s political leadership through tribal alliances? How can he be in communion with a clique harping on transformational leadership even though their actions and inactions portray them as bullies and opportunists who are pennywise but pound foolish? Just who will be the gad fly to sting honorable Wamalwa back to reality?